(MENAFN- Bangladesh Monitor) Dhaka: Middle Eastern destinations are leading global travel recovery in the fourth quarter as inbound arrivals to the region witnessed an increase of 4 per cent, long ahead of the global average of a decrease of 30 per cent, according to reports.
“The FIFA World Cup is certainly the key driver for its travel recovery,” said Juan Gomez, Head of Market Intelligence, ForwardKeys, as per reports.
The latest air ticketing data by ForwardKeys also shows that international arrival levels may be back to normal in 2023, with travel to the Middle East up by 15 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter. Overall, the outlook for 2023 looks promising, despite high inflation in key source markets and the looming recession, reports noted.
The Middle East is also attracting more premium travellers than in 2019, reports claimed, with Saudi Arabia showing the greatest growth. Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon are also showing growth, with a regional average of 11 per cent above 2019.
In line with its national tourism strategy, Saudi Arabia will be developing Sindalah - the first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea. Spread over an area of 840,000 square meters in its futuristic city NEOM, Sindalah is expected to start welcoming guests from early 2024.
The facility is expected to create 3,500 jobs for the tourism sector and hospitality and leisure services. Featuring a prestigious 86-berth marina, Sindalah will offer 413 ultra-premium hotel rooms and 333 top-end serviced apartments. The facility will also feature a luxe beach club, yacht club, 38 culinary offerings and a golf course.
Airlines in the Middle East saw a 114.7 per cent rise in passenger traffic in October 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Capacity also increased 55.7 per cent during this period compared to October 2021, and load factor climbed 21.8 percentage points to 79.5 per cent. The October passenger demand and forward bookings signal continuing recovery in the region.
International traffic for the period climbed 102.4 per cent versus October 2021. Forward bookings for international travel increased to around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, following the re-openings announced by multiple Asian economies.
Calling October traditionally a slower autumn travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA said the strong demand and forward bookings bodes well for the coming winter season and the ongoing recovery.
Dubai received USD 29.4 billion in tourism receipts in 2022 topping the list of cities with the highest spending by international visitors, according to a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTCC) report.
WTTC's latest Cities Economic Impact Report analysed 82 international destinations. Doha ranked second with a total spending of USD 16.8 billion while London was third at USD 16.1 billion. Doha ranked on top as the most recovered destination with international traveller spending and direct travel and tourism contributions to the city's gross domestic product expected to increase by 21 per cent from 2019.